Conveners
Plenary session: Invited speakers: EC, EuXFEL
- Bernd Ebeling (Eur.XFEL (European XFEL))
Plenary session: Panel on infrastructure upgrades / Lightning talks
- Rosemary Wilson (Eur.XFEL (European XFEL))
Plenary session: Invited panel - Research Infrastructures and Quality in Science Communication
- Michele Fontana
Plenary session: Lightning talks
- Convener TBA
Plenary session: Beyond automation: Keeping creativity human in the age of AI
- Convener TBA
Plenary session: Closing remarks, info on the PAERI group, info on PAERI 2028
- Andrea Voit
Plenary session: Closing Remarks and information about PAERI
- Andrea Voit
- Bernd Ebeling (Eur.XFEL (European XFEL))
Plenary session: Guided Tours of the exhibition and experiment hall at European XFEL
- Bernd Ebeling (Eur.XFEL (European XFEL))
Research infrastructures need to stay current with new and emerging technologies to address increasingly complex societal challenges. However these upgrades often mean acquiring substantial funding; convincing policymakers on local, national, and even international levels of their necessity and impact; dealing with the concerns of the local community; and ensuring buy-in from staff within the...
**Imaging technologies are at the core of modern science, revealing the invisible—from cellular dynamics to the structure of materials. Yet those who make this possible—imaging scientists and core facility staff—often remain unseen within academic hierarchies. These professionals enable discovery across disciplines, but global inequalities still determine who has access to advanced imaging,...
An ERC-funded program, FRONTIERS places science journalists in research groups. For 3-5 months, the journalists are invited to closely follow the groups work, follow their own interests by independently completing a journalistic project, and take a deep dive into one particular topic. While only early-, mid- and late-career journalists can apply, research institutions or groups can signal...
Science communication thrives when abstract concepts become lived experience. Building on two successful pilot performances in 2025 of “Quantum meets Improv” this talk presents a mobile, participatory improvisation theater format that will bring the fundamentals of quantum physics into small‑town, low science capital venues across southern Germany in 2026. By pairing brief, researcher‑led...
Inspired by FameLab by Cheltenham Festivals, at STFC I created “FameRAL”, our own version of the event. It is a science communication competition for each cohort of 60-70 Industrial Placement students. Each of them is encouraged to present for three minutes on a scientific, engineering, mathematical or medical topic of their choice, ideally related to the work they have been doing as part of...
This lightning talk presents how ELIXIR’s social media strategy has evolved in the post-X landscape. It will outline concerns about maintaining visibility on X, lessons learned from a Mastodon trial, the potential for growth on Bluesky and the reasons we are prioritising LinkedIn. The talk aims to stimulate discussion on how research infrastructures can adapt their communication strategies in...
In large EU-funded consortia like ReMade@ARI, one recurring challenge is motivating a diverse group of members - with different backgrounds, technical expertise, and locations across Europe - to actively promote the project’s impact on LinkedIn. Indeed, ReMade@ARI brings together hundreds of scientists and provides coordinated access to over 50 European analytical research infrastructures,...
In a time when metrics are often the key driver, the STFC Early Careers Engagement Programme offers a compelling counter-narrative. This talk explores how staff involvement in public engagement can be evaluated not just through surveys and participation rates, but through the stories and subtle transformations that numbers alone cannot capture.
The Early Careers Engagement programme...
ACTRIS ERIC (Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure) is a pan-European distributed research infrastructure supporting atmospheric science through open data, services, and collaboration to address climate and air quality challenges. As a newly established ERIC, ACTRIS faces the dual challenge of building its operational maturity while demonstrating impact across a...
The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) leads the "Maak & Ontdek" (Make & Discover) project, demonstrating how research institutions can address educational inequality through innovative mobile outreach. This three-year regional collaboration of six partners in science, technology and circularity will serve 11,500+ young people across the socioeconomically challenging South and...
Content creation is much too complex? Forget about that. In this Lightning Talk European XFEL social media manager Sven Kamin will show live on stage how easy content for social media can be created in less then five minutes without professional gear.
The talk should help to encourage the people in the audience to become a digital ambassador for their facility, institution or project without...
The conference panel will explore science communication from three complementary angles: its practitioners, the role of writing, and the evolving relationship with public research institutions. Through presentations and a moderated discussion, panelists will reflect on what defines “quality” in today’s communication landscape, before opening the conversation to the audience. Be ready to be...
This short talk will introduce a range of publicly available data sets on public attitudes to and investment in science, including Eurobarometer, OECD and the Reuters Institute. These can help RI teams to better understand the wider audience / stakeholder community in which they operate, rather than the science-interested groups with whom we would normally interact, and thus potentially target...
As research infrastructures move from construction to steady state operation, communication priorities shift from visibility to engagement. This talk explores how the Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC (ELI), the world’s most advanced laser based research infrastructure, is developing its user community through a combination of strategic campaigns and direct engagement. Starting from a...
The German Mathematical Society invites (every 5 years) cartoonists and other artists worldwide to submit up to three cartoons that deal with mathematics. The three “best cartoonists” are awarded a prize, and there are also several honorable mentions, as well as a public exhibition on site and online.
For this we work closely together with toonpool.com, one of the largest non-profit...
Communicating highly specialized research to a heterogeneous audience is particularly challenging. An urban research festival, has served as a testbed for layered communication strategies, where dissemination begins from fundamental physical principles and progressively incorporates higher levels of complexity. Activities combined visual narratives, gamified tasks, and culturally resonant...
Communication within research organisations is complex, even for experienced professionals. This Lightning Talk describes what occurs when undergraduates and prospective students join these more experienced teams as tutors or as participants in the Volunteer Science Year programme.
Drawing on their very personal perspectives Chaya Panahi and Alina Warncke – members of this key target group –...
When social media networks emerged a few decades ago they positioned themselves as powerful tools to increase the reach of content creators to new audiences.
However, privately-owned algorithmic networks soon became the primary way in which many people consume information, dictating what their users should see or not see. Moreover, these networks often penalise posts that link to external...
How can cutting-edge energy research spark curiosity and engagement beyond the lab? The team behind “Escape from Carbonia” at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) took up this challenge — and won. As one of the ten award-winning projects in the University Competition 2025 organized by Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD), the concept turns complex research into a playful, hands-on experience.
In...
100 years ago the planetarium was presented to the world. The unique technology allowed to see the stars in an immersive experience even during the day. But the stars were only the beginning... Today there are more than 4000 planetariums all over the world, attracting millions of visitors annually and with modern projection techniques the stars only play a minor role, while immersive movies...
Why is it important to fund facilities for research with synchrotron radiation, neutrons, ions and accelerators? How can we get their users, facilities and politicians to pull together to advance science? I will give examples of how the German user committees KFS, KFN, KFSI and KfB coordinate personal dialogue, cooperation, public relations and networking for this purpose.
Resource constraints have long limited the diversity of communication formats available to science communicators. This lightning talk presents a practical case study of how AI-assisted content creation enables previously unfeasible communication channels. Using AI-generated podcasts as an example, we demonstrate how automation can transform existing content into accessible audio formats...
If everyone uses the same AI tools, how do we keep science communication distinctive, authentic, and human? This talk explores how technology can amplify – but never replace – the human-centred creativity at the heart of engaging communication. Drawing on examples from branding and visual storytelling in the life sciences, I will share practical strategies to safeguard identity, foster...
